Dreamscape, somewhere in the forest.
The sudden ambush caught Gregor completely off guard. Facing Jed, who was absorbing Thomas’s spirituality, Gregor glared at him, his teeth clenched tightly.
In Dream Hunting, the spirituality hunted by a Dreamscape mimicry is not immediately transmitted back to the original body. Instead, it is stored within the mimicry. Only when the mimicry returns to the Dream Cocoon does the hunted spirituality truly accumulate within the person. If the mimicry is killed or destroyed during this process, the collected spirituality will dissipate, and other mimicries capable of Dream Hunting can absorb it.
This is exactly what Jed is doing now. Facing Jed, who is absorbing Thomas’s spirituality, Gregor shouts sternly.
"Have you gone mad, Jed? Attacking a comrade!"
"Comrade? No, no, no... Don’t get it wrong. I’ve never considered you comrades. You’re all just prey. In this hunting ground of the forest, the only relationship between us is that of hunter and prey."
Jed speaks with a tone of disdain, his expression calm, as if everything he has done is completely justified. Seeing Jed’s reaction, Gregor grows even more furious and continues.
"You’re also a member of the Serenity Bureau! Aren’t you afraid we’ll report you for this?"
Gregor says this, hoping to intimidate Jed and prevent him from acting rashly. In the Dreamscape, the death of a mimicry does not result in the death of the original body. However, it does cause mental trauma that can leave the person bedridden for over a month. This means that even if Jed destroys Gregor and Thomas’s mimicry here, Gregor can still report him after waking up.
Gregor questions Jed in this manner, hoping to deter him. However, Jed simply chuckles and responds."Report me? With what? Report Jed from the Cannott Branch? Do you think I’m really Jed? Or does Jed even exist? Or am I even really a member of the Serenty Bureau?”
"Even if you want to report me, you’ll need to remember the details of what happened here. The mental damage caused by the destruction of a mimicry can easily lead to short-term memory loss. Who knows if you’ll even remember what happened here after you wake up."
Jed’s series of questions sends a chill through Gregor’s heart. He suddenly realizes that Jed’s claim of being from the Cannott Branch is entirely one-sided. In the forest, where everyone appears as similar mimicries, Gregor has no way of knowing Jed’s true identity. If Jed has provided a false identity, there’s no way to trace him.
"You... Aren’t you afraid we’ll call for Mr. Frandi?"
"Go ahead and try calling for him. See if Frandi or anyone else can hear you. I’ve led you far enough away from the main group, deep into the eastern forbidden zone. I can guarantee no one from the bureau will hear your calls."
Jed continues smugly. After hearing this, Gregor’s heart grows heavier. He knows he’s been tricked due to his lack of experience in the Dreamscape.
With intimidation failing, a fight is now unavoidable. However, Gregor is injured and stands little chance of winning. Running away isn’t an option either, as Jed is faster.
Finally, after absorbing Thomas’s spirituality, Jed crouches low and lunges at Gregor with full force. Facing Jed’s sudden attack, Gregor dodges with difficulty, his injured body barely managing to evade the first strike.
Gregor’s dodge also allows the little fox, who had been struggling under his paw, to break free.
"You black dogs can fight among yourselves! I’m out of here!"
Just as the little fox is about to make her escape, Jed has no intention of letting her go. He swipes at her with his paw before she can fully stand, grazing her left hind leg. The fox yelps in pain and rolls away.
Although Jed doesn’t know where this fox mimicry came from, since she’s appeared before him, he won’t let her go so easily. What if she also has spirituality stored within her?
Without hesitation, Jed follows up with another attack, lunging at the fox with his claws. However, as another shadow flashes by, the fox suddenly disappears. Jed looks up to see Gregor has snatched the fox away.
Gregor, now carrying the fox in his mouth, flings her onto his back and dashes deeper into the forest. The fox, now on Gregor’s back, is surprised.
"Black dog, you actually saved me?"
"This is a matter for the Serenity Bureau. I was the one who accidentally dragged you into this, so I won’t just leave you to your fate."
Gregor says to the injured fox on his back. If he hadn’t captured her earlier, she wouldn’t have been caught up in this mess. Gregor feels responsible for saving her.
And so, Gregor, in his black hound mimicry form, carries the fox as he runs deeper into the forest, with Jed hot on his heels, relentlessly pursuing them.
Due to the injuries he sustained from the initial ambush, Gregor’s movements and stamina are affected. Under Jed’s relentless pursuit, he won’t last long.
"Hey, hey... Black dog from the Serenity Bureau, it looks like you can’t outrun your colleague."
Clutching onto Gregor’s back, the fox glances back at the pursuing Jed and speaks. Gregor, while running, responds.
"I’m trying to head back toward our original location... If I can get close enough, I’ll call for help. If our comrades hear me, they’ll come to our aid, and we’ll be safe."
"Head back... You mean toward the hunting grounds? Don’t be stupid! You’ll never make it there!"
The fox urgently says. She is clearly more familiar with the Dreamscape environment than Gregor.
"Listen to me, black dog! Trying to reach the hunting grounds now is impossible. Turn left, head east! If you run that way, we still have a chance!"
The fox continues to shout from Gregor’s back. Hearing her words, Gregor is puzzled.
"Keep heading east? Our leader said that area is a forbidden zone!"
"Stop worrying about forbidden zones! If you don’t want to lose all the spirituality you’ve worked so hard to collect, listen to me now! I know this area a hundred times better than you, black dog!"
The fox speaks with a commanding tone. Her words strike a chord with Gregor, and after a moment of thought, he decides to follow her advice. He turns sharply and dashes eastward, with Jed pausing briefly before accelerating to continue the chase.
And so, the chase between the two black hounds unfolds in the quiet forest. They race toward the east, the direction from which countless animals have been fleeing. Due to Gregor’s injuries, the distance between them continues to shrink.
Perched on Gregor’s back, the fox glances back at Jed, who is closing in with a sinister grin. Her expression grows serious, and she shouts to Gregor.
"Now, black dog, call out! Shout as loud as you can! Make sure your voice carries as far as possible!"
Following the fox’s instructions, Gregor hesitates for a moment, then lets out a loud howl as he runs.
"Awooo!!!"
Gregor’s howl echoes through the vast forest. The black hound mimicry of the Serenity Bureau have a unique trait—their howls can travel exceptionally far. This is particularly useful for coordinating group actions in the forest. All black hound mimicry among the hunters can understand these howls and will rush to aid when called.
Hearing Gregor’s howl, Jed sneers inwardly, thinking to himself.
“Trying to call for help? Hmph... No one will come to this forbidden zone. They won’t hear you here. Even if they do, it’ll be too late.”
With this thought, Jed quickens his pace, closing the distance between himself and Gregor. The gap between them has reached a dangerously close range, causing the fox on Gregor’s back to grow anxious.
At that moment, a deep, resonant roar echoes through the sky ahead of them.
"——!"
The long, ancient, and profound roar reverberates among the towering trees of the forest. Hearing this sound, both Gregor and Jed are momentarily stunned. The fox, however, feels a surge of joy.
“Finally, it’s here!”
As the three of them run through the grassy forest, they all turn their gaze toward the source of the roar, peering into the dark shadows between the giant trees. They see a massive silhouette gradually emerging from the darkness.
The towering black figure appears before them, its broad wings flapping through the Dreamscape’s air, propelling its enormous body forward.
Horns, claws, and scales as thick as stone—the majestic yet fearsome black dragon soars toward them. Witnessing this unprecedented, almost surreal sight, Gregor and Jed’s hearts leap into their throats.
“A dragon! What the hell! There’s actually a dragon in the Dreamscape!”
“Is this... the source of the fear that drives the Dreamscape creatures away?”
The sight of the black dragon instantly triggers a primal fear in both Gregor and Jed. Realizing they have encountered the source of the terror that haunts the creatures of this region, they immediately skid to a halt and turn to flee. Now, the situation has reversed, with Jed in front and Gregor and the fox behind.
However, running is no match for flying. With a casual flap of its wings, the black dragon quickly catches up to the fleeing figures and swoops down.
The dragon’s descent creates a powerful gust of wind that sweeps across the forest floor, sending Gregor and Jed tumbling to the ground. The fox is thrown from Gregor’s back, yelping as she rolls away.
With a ground-shaking thud, the black dragon lands. She raises her head, her crimson eyes coldly observing the scene before her. She watches as the two black hounds struggle to their feet, their eyes filled with terror as they gaze at the massive black dragon.
Facing the colossal creature, which is nearly twenty meters long, the two black hounds, each barely over a meter in length, lower their bodies in submission. Knowing they cannot outrun the dragon, they dare not make any sudden moves, fearing they might provoke her.
“A dragon... There are actually dragons among the Dreamscape creatures!? Is this why the creatures in this area have been driven away? Are they fleeing from the dragon?”
Standing frozen in place, Gregor stares at the dragon, his mind racing. He never imagined he would witness a legendary creature like a dragon in the Dreamscape. The largest Dreamscape creature he had seen before was a Dream Deer, and the most fantastical was Frandi’s winged hound mimicry.
Gregor had heard from James that the higher-ups in the bureau possess high-tier fantastical mimicry like the three-headed winged hound, and that Dreamscape creatures include rare forms like griffins. But he had never heard of dragons.
Meanwhile, Jed, while equally shocked, is rapidly thinking of a way to deal with the situation.
“Damn it... I was planning to use the forbidden zone as a trap... I never expected to encounter the reason the zone exists... A dragon!? I can’t act recklessly now. The fact that the dragon didn’t attack immediately means it doesn’t see us as a threat... for now. I need to find a way to escape.”
As Jed ponders, the black dragon surveys the scene before her and opens her mouth, speaking in a deep, ancient, and slightly muffled voice.
"Was it you... who let out that howl earlier?"
The dragon’s thunderous voice echoes in the ears of Jed and Gregor. Hearing this, they both freeze, realizing a crucial fact.
This dragon can speak! It possesses intelligence!
Realizing this, an idea quickly forms in Jed’s mind. He immediately steps forward, bowing low before the dragon, and speaks in a respectful tone.
"Yes, esteemed Lord Dragon. I dared to use such a call to summon you because I wished to inform you that someone has trespassed into your territory!"
As he speaks, Jed glances at Gregor. Hearing Jed’s words, Gregor’s heart sinks.
“This guy... He’s trying to shift the blame onto me!?”
"Esteemed Lord Dragon! This man and I were originally hunting companions. We were patrolling the edges of your magnificent territory, but he suddenly grew greedy and decided to venture into your domain in search of treasure. When I tried to stop him, he refused to listen, so I followed him in to prevent his actions."
Jed speaks with a humble and submissive tone, addressing the black dragon. He knows a crucial piece of information: the boundaries of the forbidden zone in this forest have remained unchanged since its formation. This means... the powerful creature residing here has a strong sense of territoriality.
Territorial creatures rarely leave their domains and will not tolerate intruders. Jed seizes on this, believing he has understood the dragon’s mindset, and tries to shift the blame onto Gregor.
Sure enough, after hearing Jed’s words, the black dragon turns her attention to Gregor, her crimson eyes locking onto him. Under her gaze, Gregor feels a wave of panic and quickly speaks up.
"Lord Dragon, please do not listen to his lies! We are both members of the Serenity Bureau from the real world. We were hunting outside your territory, but he deliberately lured me into your domain to attack me when no one else could witness it!"
Gregor shouts loudly, while Jed immediately counters.
"Don’t listen to him, Lord Dragon! He’s just trying to deceive you with clever words. However, despite his lies, he is still my comrade. Please grant me the chance to take him back. We will never trespass into your territory again!"
After speaking, Jed observes the dragon, who remains fixated on Gregor, her gaze unwavering. Under the dragon’s intense stare, Gregor feels immense pressure.
“It’s working... The dragon is starting to suspect him!”
Seeing this, Jed feels a surge of triumph. Just as he prepares to add more fuel to the fire, he notices the dragon’s gaze shifting toward him.
This time, however, her eyes are filled with a chilling killing intent.
Feeling a sense of impending doom, Jed tries to speak, but he doesn’t get the chance. The dragon’s spiked tail whips toward him with terrifying speed, piercing through his body before he can utter a word. His mimicry is instantly torn apart by the immense force.
As Jed’s body disintegrates, his eyes widen in shock and confusion. He doesn’t understand why the dragon suddenly turned her hostility toward him.
"Why..."
As Jed vanishes in a mix of shock and bewilderment, the dragon mimicry—Dorothy—thinks to herself...
“Why? Because that dog you were talking about is my brother…”